Attachment link for sprocket chains



Jan. 20, 1953 s. T. TRANSEAU 2,625,830

ATTACHMENT LINK FOR SPROCKET CHAINS Filed Sept. 20, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET l INVENTOR.

$HERMHN TTRHNSEHU BY/IVMQN Jan. 20, 1953 s. T. TRANSEAU 2,625,830

ATTACHMENT LINK FOR SPROCKET CHAINS Filed Sept. 20, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. SHERMHHT-TRHNSEAU Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT F F 1 CE ATTACHMENTLIN Ki FOR S'P'ROCKET CHAIN S' Sherman T..Transeau, Riverside, N. .1.

Application September 20, 1950, Serial No. 185,845

3 Claims.

.The. present. invention. relates generallyto chain conveyors. of, the bucket type and more,

aggravated where 'abrasivematerial is being: conveyed necessitating .frequent repair and. replacement. oipartsrwhich; is not only a troublesome factor in operating conditions, but. is a cost item of major proportions.

Among the: principal objects; of they-present invention ;to .pro idean improved construction of. chain conveyor. wl-ierein the barrel tor;- receivingthellinlteonnectingz pinvis specially re. inferred- :to considerably increase the operating life .Of the: link..

A .rurther object. .isi'to, provide "a chain link wherein the barrel for receiving thelink connectingspinis .ofJa design and construction whichis self-compensating against Wear due; to. friction, the wall of the barrellbein'gof suchincreased thickness eccentrically of barrel axis as'to provide for maximum. thickness in the regions: ofv

maximum wear of the. barrel.

still' another objectis to'provide a barrel. bearingv for a chainlink' wherein: the .length of wear upon a bearingidue both to pin jointfriction and.

wheel drive friction, 'as compared to ordinary bearing constructionsis materially increased-andv cost of repairs and replacements corresponding.- ly-reduced.

Other objects-and advantages of the present invention will appear'm'ore fully hereinafter, it

bein understood' thatthe present invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts,

all 'as will appear more fully hereinafter, as

shown in the accompanying drawings andv as finally pointed out in'the appended claims;

In the accompanylngdrawings,'Figure I represents, in perspective, afragmentary length. of a chain bucket conveyor formed of links embodying one form of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 represents a rear perspective of a chain link with material carrier bucket attached thereto;

Figure 3 representsra perspective of one of the links of. a conveyor chain as constructed in accordance with the present, invention, while.

showing in dotted lines the relation of an associated link;

Figure .4 represents on a reduced scale, a front elevation of an illustrative link;

Figure B-represents a section online 5- 5 of:Eigure 4;

as modified for mounting of a bucket thereon;

Figure 7 represents a side elevation of the link shown in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a partial elevational view showing a chain made up of thelinks of the present invention in working engagement with a drive wheel, the latter being shown in phantom and the chain: links being shown in longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawings wherein a portion of: the lengthof abucket conveyor or bucket elevator is: shown in Figure 1, it will be observed thatrsuch conveyor is, made up of a. succession of articulated chain links Ill, to certain of which materialcarrying-buckets I I, as shown in Figures 1 and 2,. are respectively attached in suitably spacedrelation. Eachbucket II, in this instance. is anchored in place; upon. a .chainlink lit by bolts l2 passing through anchoring plates t3 preferably. formed: as integral .side extensions 1 of the two. sidea-ihars 14- ofthexparticular link it adapted to'receiveya bucket. .As an added. reinforcement for the bucket and link assembly, a pair of undercut rails l:5l5 are attached tov the bottom of the bucket l'l, these rails being so laterally spaced apart as to frictionally receive therein. the outer marginal edge portions of the bucket mounting plates l3--l3l Since the present'invention relates more particularly to theindividual chain links, reference is'now made toFigures 3,4 and '5 wherein'a link.

illustrative of the invention is shown comprising the aforesaid side bars i4 terminating at one end in anintegralbarrel I'B having a. through bore [1 for the reception of the interconnecting pin for the adjacent associated link. Such a pin I8 is shown in Figure 3 for connecting the link It with its adjoining link shown in phantom, it being noted that said pin [8 passes through the barrel l6 of one link and through the bifurcated end ofthe adjoining link; The side bars l 4--l4 of each bifurcated link respectively terminate in laterally spaced bosses I9 and 2!! having axially alined openings for projection therethrough of the shank of the pin l8, these bossesbeingeach of greater thickness than that of the side bars of which they respectively form integral parts.

Theboss I9 "isformed with a transverse slot or notch 2l in its outer face to receive the complementallyshaped head 22 of the pin l8, while the' boss "20' is similarly slotted or notched, as

at 2P to receive a cotter pin 23 which is pro-- jected through the free end of the pin M3 to lock the latter in position. Thus, the outer faces of the bosses I9: and Marc respectively free of projections and protect the head of the pin Is and its locking cotter pin'2-3- from wear against abrasion. when the chain passes through abrasive material.

To. further protect the. pin l8v from abrasive wear, each of the side bars l4l4 of the bifurcated link I is provided with an outwardly projecting deflector rib 24, these ribs 24-24 being transversely alined and being operative to function as deflectors to prevent abrasive or other material from being forced into the pin barrel around the pin l8. Also, the inner faces of each side bar I4 is provided with an inwardly presenting rib 25, the free inner edges of these ribs 2525 being substantially parallel to serve as lateral guides for the sprocket or traction wheel with which the conveyor chain is associated. In addition, these ribs 2525 serve to reinforce and strengthen the side bars [4-44 of the bifurcated chain link.

For the purpose of increasing the life of a link in a chain of this type and reducing the time for replacing parts worn by friction between the barrel l5 and its pin [8, or between the barrel l6 and the driving wheel for the chain, the wall of each' barrel 16 of the link In is eccentrically thickened, as at 26, so that while the axis of the bore ll of the barrel is disposed in the plane of pull of the chain, the barrel of the link is provided with a thickened wall portion in the regions of its maximum wear. Thus, as best shown in Figure 5, the wall of the barrel [6 increases outwardly to a maximum along a line extending radially from the axis of the bore and generally coincident with the line of maximum force applied by the barrel against the pin when the chain is pulled in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The general contour of the eccentrically thickened wall of the barrel IB imparts to the lat ter an ovate section having its major axis disposed along the line of force creating or inducing maximum wear due to friction. Thus, considering the straight line pull upon a link passing through the alined centers of two pins in the same link, it will be observed that the maximum wall thickness of the barrel is at the outer and under side of the pin receiving bore I! rather than on the inner side thereof, thereby increasing measurably the life of the barrel not only against internal frictional wear thereof by the link connecting pin, but also against external wear thereof by the sprocket or traction wheels with which the chain is associated for driving and guiding the same in its operation. In this connection it is important to note that the thickened wall por-' tions of the chain link barrel are respectively in the regions which are subject directly to the wear-resulting forces of the barrel against the link-connecting pin and the drive wheel, the first of which forces tends to internally wear out the pin-receiving bore I! of the barrel, while the' second of which tends to wear away the external surface of the barrel in the region of its contact with the chain driving and guiding wheels.

It will now be apparent that a complete unitary chain link has been devised wherein a rugged assembly has been attained including provision for increasing the thickness of wear areas so that the life of parts exposed to frictional wear is ma terially increased and therefore repairs and replacements reduced to a minimum.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without departing from the general principles or real spirit of the present invention, and it will be accordingly understood that it is intended to claim the present invention broadly, as

well as specifically as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. An endless chain adapted to be trained over a driving wheel comprising a plurality of links joined together in articulated relation by pivot pins extending transversely through opposite ends of each link, the articulated links of the chain being respectively provided with later-ally spaced side bars integrally connected at least at one end of each link by a transversely extending wheel-engaging barrel having formed therein an eccentrically disposed bore for receiving one of the pivot pins aforesaid, said pivot-pin-receiving bores in the several links being all thus displaced eccentrically of the axes of the barrels in which they are formed to provide all of said barrels with thickened wall portions, the thickened wall portion of each barrel being restricted substantially to that circumferential quadrant'of the barrel wall which forms the trailing portion of the barrel on the wheel-engaging side thereof, said thickened wall portions of the barrels of the several articulated links being disposed with their regions of maximum thickness allsimilarly oriented with relation to the direction of travel of the chain about the drive wheel.

2. An endless chain adapted to be trained over a driving wheel comprising a plurality of links joined together in articulated relation by pivot pins extending transversely through opposite ends of each link, the articulated links of the chain being respectively provided with laterally. spaced side bars integrally connected at least at one end of each link by a transversely extending wheel-engaging barrel having formed therein an.

eccentrically disposed bore for receiving one'of the pivot pins aforesaid, said pivot-pin-receiving' bores in the several links being all thus displaced eccentrically of the axes of the barrels in which they are formed to provide all of said barrels with thickened wall portions, the thickened wall por-' tion of each barrel having its region of maximum thickness restricted substantially within that cir-' cumferentia1 segment of the barrel wall which is disposed 1) rearwardly of a transverse plane ex-"' tending diametricallythrough the pivot-pin-receiving bore of the barrel of a given link at right-- angles to a longitudinally extending plane through said given link which is common to the axes of the pivot pins at opposite ends of saidj given link and (2) upon the wheel-engaging side of said longitudinally extending plane, the sev' 3. In an endless chain as defined in claim -1 wherein said pivot pins of each link are commonly disposed in a longitudinally extending plane which is displaced outwardly from the longitudina1 wheel embracing edges of the side bars of the link a distance greater than one-half the width of said side-bars.

SHERMAN T. TRANSEAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date H 694,870 Levalley Mar. 4, 1902' 1,090,478 Hunt Mar. 17, 1914 1,451,625 Montague et a1. Apr. 10,1923 

